On Wednesday, Stephens increased its price target for Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ:CALM), now valued at $5.1 billion, from $88 to $97, while keeping an Equal Weight rating on the stock. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock is trading near its Fair Value, with strong financial health metrics supporting its current valuation. This adjustment came after Cal-Maine Foods reported its second quarter earnings for fiscal year 2025, which surpassed both Stephens' and the consensus estimates.
The company announced an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.48, compared to the anticipated $4.25 by Stephens and $4.05 by the consensus. Adjusted EBITDA also exceeded expectations, reaching $325.4 million against the predicted $282.4 million by Stephens and $303.7 million by consensus. The higher-than-expected results were attributed to increased sales and reduced selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A), though these were somewhat balanced by a lower gross margin.
Cal-Maine Foods experienced a robust quarter, driven by a strong supply and demand balance in the market and heightened seasonal egg demand. Stephens analysts project that the company is poised for continued significant earnings growth, especially considering the ongoing impact of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and the current high pricing levels for eggs in the third fiscal quarter.
Despite typically expecting a decrease in egg demand after Christmas, the tight supply situation seems to favor another strong quarter for Cal-Maine Foods. The firm also notes that if HPAI continues to affect commercial egg layers, there might be further potential for egg price increases. With these factors in mind, Stephens decided to maintain its Equal Weight (Volatility) rating but raised the price target to $97 from the previous $88.
In other recent news, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. reported robust fiscal second quarter results, surpassing analyst expectations. The company posted earnings per share of $4.47, significantly outperforming the projected $2.96, and revenue reached $954.7 million, exceeding estimates of $722.04 million.
These impressive results were driven by the sale of 329.8 million dozen eggs, a 14.5% increase year-over-year, and an average selling price per dozen rising to $2.74 from $1.73 in the previous year's quarter.
The company's strong performance was attributed to high demand for shell eggs and higher market prices. Despite supply restrictions due to recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), Cal-Maine leveraged its scale and recent acquisitions to meet customer needs. As part of recent developments, Cal-Maine plans to invest approximately $60 million in new capital projects to expand cage-free egg production capacity, expected to add capacity for about 1.1 million cage-free layer hens by late summer 2025. Lastly, Cal-Maine declared a quarterly dividend of $1.49 per share.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.